Electric socket and receptacle



1952 s. B. BENANDER $620,374

ELECTRIC SOCKET AND RECEPTACLE Filed Aug. 4, 1949 Inventor:

George 26in an ef; by 7 His Attov y.

Patentecl Dec. 2, 1952 )1;

j umTEo STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC SOCKET AND BECEPTACLE f I i V George B. Benander, Oaklawn, R. L, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to General Electric Company, a. corporation of New York Application August 4, 1949, Serial No. 108,535

--.Thls invention relates to an electric outlet of the type having both a screw-threaded socket and a receptacle for receiving a'pronged plug.

.:'-A primary object of my invention is to simplifY'the'construction of an electrical outlet so that it may be manufactured at a minimum cost. ..;A'further'-object of my invention is to provide an. electrical outlet adapted to receive not only a threaded plug or threaded lamp base but also a plug of the type having a pair of projecting prongs. 1 I

2 'More 'speciflcally, it is an object of my invention to.provide an electrical outlet fixture particularly suitable for decorative lighting outfitswhere low cost of each fixture is an important prerequisite.

? In accomplishment of the foregoing objectives, a feature of my invention consists in enclosing the outlet in an insulated housing or case arranged at one end with a socket to receive a threaded electrical fitting and at its other end to'receive a plug having projecting prongs. A pair of contact strips supported Within the housing form contacts for both outlets of the device. A further feature of the invention, making this outlet particularly suitable for decorative, lighting outfits, is to'retain the two-piece housing in assembled relation with aspring clip mounted ontheoutside of the housing and serving also as an outlet supporting member.

. The features of my invention which I believe to-be novel are set forth with particularity in theappended' claims. My invention itself, howeveryboth as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation with a portion of the fixture housing broken away; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view in elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is across-sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.1; andFig. 5 is an exploded view in perspective.

:In the illustrated embodiment, I have shownan electrical outlet with a threaded sockettype receptacle at its upper end and a receptacle adapted to receive a two-prong plug at its lower end; For convenience'in assembly, the case or housing, which is formed from insulating material,:-is made in two parts, I and 2. halves of the housing-may: beretained in as sembled relation by any suitable means such 4. Claims. (Cl. 173-334) These two 2 as rivets or threaded fastening devices. However, to make this outlet particularly suitable for decorative lighting outfits, I prefer to employ a spring clip 3 which includes a laterally extending portion 4 passing through both halves of the housing along a diameter of the assembled housing, and having sufiicient lengthto permit a portion 5 to be staked over. This feature, involving the employment of the spring clip 3 which is adapted for supporting the receptacle and having a laterally extending portion 4 passing through both halves of the'housing to hold the housing in assembled relationship, forms a portion of the subject matter described and claimed in my copending patent application for a Lamp Socket, Serial No. 171,915, filed July 3, 1950, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. Thus this combination socket and receptacle may be readily supported from a branch of a Christmas tree or the like.

To increase the utility of this device it is formed as a combination socket and plug type receptacle.

Referring to the drawing, particularly Figs. 2' and 5, the upper portion of the assembled housing is shaped to form a socket 6 having threads I for cooperation with a threaded base of an electric lamp or a threaded plug. The lower end of the housing is provided with a pair of slot apertures 8 and 9 to receive a pair of prongs of a plug. Such an arrangement lends itself particularly well for lighting outfits since a lamp may bethreaded into the socket 6 and the outlet formed by slots 8 and 9 permits another simi lar device to be connected in parallel in the electrical circuit by insertion of a prong'ed plug.

Electric power is supplied to this combination socket and receptacle assembly through a twoconductor cord In whose bared conductors l l and i2, shown in Figs. 2 and 5, are connected to contact strips l3 and 14, respectively. These contact strips are maintained in spaced apart relation by an upper central barrier l5, a lower central one-half the width 'of the contact strip. There- ;fore, contact strips I3 and 14 may be inserted- 3 in position in housing half I after which the ends of conductors H and I2 are bent over their respective contact strips as shown by Fig. 1. Referring again to Fig. 5, housing half 2 is provided with central barriers 22 and 23 and end barrier 24. These barriers are similar and are intended to abut the corresponding barriers 15, I6, and I! in housing. half t. Also, housinghal'fi isprovided with contact strip receiving slots 25- and 26 and the intermediate portion of each slot includes beveled edges as at 21. Therefore, with the contact strips 13 and M in position inhousing half I and the electrical conductors H and i2" bent over each contact strip as shown in Figs: 1 and 2, housing half 2 may beforc'ed into-makingengagement with housing half I, this action portiomofithedevice and to form resilient contact elementsato receive a pronged plug. Each of the contact stripst I3- and M are: made of resilient material with an electrical conducting property:

Thelower-end of eaoh-stripis curved; as at 2-8- and. 29, to form a, pair of. resilient contacts in: alignment with the slotted apertures 8 and 9;

Thus when a pronged. plugv is inserted in. aper' tures' & and 9 the'prongs willcontact these curvedportions- 28 and 29, to provide anzelectrical c'on-' nection to the. electric lines. H and I2;

portion 30 extending upwardly into the socket 6'. This'portion 30 is adapted to lie against the interior wall within the socket. Apair of dimples 3;! and..32 are formed. adjacent the end of por'-- tion. 30-to project inwardly; and the spacing of these dimples'corresponds to the pitch of thread 1 within-the socket. Contact strip [3 is arranged within the housing so that the dimples 3| and 32-: are in alignmentwith and form a continuation ofthe high portion-of thread 1-. Therefore, when. a threaded lamp base or plug. isscrewed into thesocket,. thesedimples will contactv the base supplying power: thereto. The other. contactstrip l 4* has itsupper endportion 33 bent over to form.

a central contact within the socket adapted to engage the central. element of a threaded lamp base orplug.

From: the above disclosureitiszseen that-I have provided. a greatly simplified combination electricsocket and: receptacle. The entire assembly consists of. merely an; insulated housing: in two partspa painof: contact strips, 2; meansfor maintaining; the device in assembled position, andan: electrical supply; cord. The usual cylindricalthreadedcopper member which: forms the: out-- sidezcontactiof the lamp basesocket-is eliminated by theiuse of a contact'strip with dimples corre-- spending: to the threads. formed in the insulated.

housing. I- find? this construction particularly suitable for-low cost outlets: adaptedto receive multiple small: lamps, such as are frequently employed. in decorative lighting outfits.

While-the present invention: has been described byreference1to, a particular. embodiment thereof;

it. is. to*- be understood that numerous modificatiQnS: may bemade. by those skilled; in; the art.

Refer-- ring: again to.Fig; 5, contact strip I3 includes a without actually departing from the invention, I, therefore, aim in the appended claims to cover all such equivalent variations as come within the true spirit and scope of the foregoing disclosure.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A socket and receptacle outlet comprising a housing of insul'ating materialhaving two halves with oneend of the assembled housing forming a threaded socket and the other end an outlet toreceive a pronged plug, a first contact strip extending longitudinally within said housing, a second contact strip extending longitudinally withinsaid housing: in spaced relation from said first. contact strip, said housing including slot means retaining said contact strips in position, said contact strips each having an intermediate portion for connection to incoming electric leads extendingv into said housing and a curved end portion positioned in the receptacle outlet end of. said. housing'toform spring contacts: engageable with prongs. ofa plug, said-first strixx'h'a'ving: its other. end portiompositioned within'the socket end ofsaid housing; toform a side wall: contact, said second strip havingv its;v other end bent to form. the central contact button for. the: socket; andv a spring. clip. having, an end extending through said: housing for retaining itiir assembled relation-.andfor engaging a support;

2; A combination electricsocket and'plug: re ceptacle comprising an insulated housing formed: from. complementary parts. todefine: an. electric lamp socket, a plug receptacle; and slot means; interconnecting saidv socket and plug; receptacle a pair of electrical conducting strips; positioned;- in said slots with portions of each strips-lying; in both said. socket andsaid receptacleitoform electricalicontactsfor both=said socket and zpiugt receptacle, said housing having an aperture for:

receiving an electric cord electrically engageabler with said: conducting strips fonsupplying. electric 5 energy to both: said. socket: and receptacle: and means for retaining; said. housing in'v assembled: relationship.

3: A socket and receptacle out-let: comprising; an" insulated housing having, two halves-'withq-one end of the assembled housing forming a. socket and theother end an outlet to receivera; pronged plug; afirst contact-strip extending: longitudinal, 1y within said housing; a second. contact. strip? extending longitudinally within said housing, in

spacedre'lation from said: first contact strip, ,said.

housing including; slot means retaining; said. contactstrips in position-,, said contact strips; each" having. an intermediate portion for -connectionwt'o' incoming electrical leads extending into: said: housing and each having; an: end: portion. post. tioned in the receptacle. outlet endofv said: housing' to form spring contacts engageablewith prongs ofanelectric plug, said first strip having: its other end portion-positioned wi'thinthe' socket end: of: said housing: to form a side? wallcontact;v said: second. strip having, its. other end bent; to; form the central contact button: for. the: socket. portion,,and-a spring clipv having, an end .extend ing through said housing for retaining the: same:

in assembled relationship and". for: engaging: a support:

4-; A-;. socket and receptacle outlet. comprising:

an insulatedhousing: having: two. halves :with' one:

end of: the.- assembled. housing: forming a socket and the otherend an outlet to receive: azpronged plug; a: first contact strip extending: longitudinally within: said housing; ar second contact strip;

extending; longitudinally within saidhousingz.

spaced relation from said first contact strip, said housing including slot means retaining said contact strips in position, said contact strips each having an intermediate portion for connection to incoming electrical leads extending into said housing and each having an end portion positioned in the receptacle outlet end of said housing to form spring contacts engageable with prongs of an electric plug, said first strip having its other end portion positioned within the socket end of said housing to form a side Wall contact, said second strip having its other end bent to form the central contact button for the socket portion, and means for retaining said housing in assembled relationship. 7

GEORGE. B. BENANDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,576,241 McClatchie Mar. 9, 1926 1,722,737 Eckstein et a1 July 30, 1929 1,842,543 Eckstein et a1 Jan. 26, 1932 2,172,347 Clemence Sept. 12, 1939 2,229,403 Benander Jan. 21, 1941 2,371,494 Benander Mar. 13, 1945 

